Baby bok choy is a compact version of the long, slender bunches commonly found in Chinese cuisine. Mild in flavor, they are delicious prepared in a variety of ways, but I like it most often as a refreshing, crisp contrast to spicy, highly seasoned main dishes, such as soy sauce roasted chicken.

Making fried rice is a great way to create a quick meal, using whatever you might have on hand. In this case, it was chicken! The beauty of fried rice is that you can make it as simple or as complex as you wish.

Bacon. Ahh, the word itself ignites the senses of discerning carnivores out there, and with good reason. The salty, fatty pork goodness satisfies just about any savory craving, and has clearly moved beyond the breakfast table. But just how far? We wanted to find out.

Of all the desserts bandied about as “comfort food,” bread pudding is at the top of my list. Simple to make, generally from day-old scraps of bread, there is no finer example of how something stale, hard and crusty can be turned into something luxuriously decadent and delicious.